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ZUCCOTTI PARK, A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
This article is about Zuccotti Park, the musical theatre production. For Zuccotti Park, formerly named Liberty Plaza, in Lower Manhattan, New York City, please see Zuccotti Park.

“Zuccotti Park” is a new musical that is loosely based on the early days of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, when protesters set up a tent city in Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan. The play is a fictional account of a young soldier, Cooper, on leave from Afghanistan, who crosses paths with the protesters in New York City. When he tries to help a young woman, Kate, who has been pepper sprayed, he gets caught up in a mass arrest and find himself in jail with the protesters. Through his relationship with Kate and the other Occupy people, Cooper begins to question his beliefs, come to terms with how our country's financial system is run and eventually learn what it really means to be an American. The music for Zuccotti Park was written by Vatrena King, the book and lyrics by Catherine Hurd.

BACKGROUND
Zuccotti Park is a new musical, which has just been funded on Kickstarter. A director, Melanie Smith, production manager, Laura Nichols, and publicists, Christy Corps- Minamiji and Kiersen Clerkin have been brought on board.

Script and lyric writer Catherine Hurd graduated from UCLA with a Master’s Degree in Screenwriting, and from Florida State University with an MFA in Film Production. She received her BFA from Florida Atlantic University in Theater. Catherine has won several awards in screenwriting, and has optioned three feature length scripts in Los Angeles

Composer Vatrena King graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Music Production and Engineering before becoming a 1st-call session singer.

Credits include a recurring singing role on the hit TV show “[|Ally McBeal]”, performing and/or recording with such artists as [|Melissa Manchester], [|Rod Stewart], [|Mariah Carey], [|Whitney Houston], Ray Charles, Barry Manilow & Barry White, several Disney children’s albums, television and film theme songs. Original songs can be heard in the independent film All About Us, (2007). In 2000, Vatrena was rated the Top Unsigned Artist by Music Connection Magazine.

Director Melanie Smith has been a theatrical director and choreographer in the Equity, community, academic and conservatory arenas for thirty years, with credits including Pittsburgh’s City Theatre, Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival, and Civic Light Opera, Washington DC’s American Musical Theater Festival, and many other companies. She holds over twenty-five years of experience as an acting teacher and coach, and served for nearly a decade on theater arts faculty at Sacramento’s American River College, where she also taught theatre history, directing, and stage movement. Melanie holds a BA in Communication and Rhetoric from the University of Pittsburgh and an MA in Theatre Arts from California State University, Sacramento.

SYNOPSIS
Zuccotti Park A Musical About the Occupy Movement in America

Act One
It is 2011. On the dimly lit stage we see protesters in Zuccotti Park—a park in the Wall Street district of New York City. They are frozen in place, in tableaux of different activities— making flyers, waving signs, talking, playing instruments, shaking hands, etc. In the semi-darkness, a chant morphs into the singing of the words of the “First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.” A lone protester, MICHAEL, a Harvard grad in his 30s, hops up on a bench. As the song concludes, he shouts above the crowd, “Mic check!” The protesters move in reply, converge on Michael’s makeshift pulpit, and repeat his words as lights snap to full: “We are the 99%.” As the song concludes, two soldiers from the war in Afghanistan, one just finished his tour, the other on leave, enter the stage. COOPER is a fair-haired farm boy from Iowa, and WASHINGTON an African-American New York City native. A reporter, JAYLEE HARRIS, also arrives on the scene, anxious to interview some of the Occupy protesters. The reporter asks about the protesters’ demands, and a core group responds with snippets of their individual stories. As Jaylee Harris continues to question the protesters, the entire group chants the song “Manifesto.” As they are finishing, police move in to arrest the protesters. When a pretty young protester named KATE gets pepper-sprayed, Cooper comes to her rescue, and is arrested along with most of the Occupy group. A young Latino family escapes arrest by hiding behind some trees. After the police leave with the protesters, the reporter questions the family about the home they lost through foreclosure.

It is 2004. A Mortgage Broker’s Office. JOE, MARIA, and JUAN sit with two MORTGAGE BROKERS. They are conflicted about whether or not to buy a house. The mortgage brokers try to convince them during the song “Trade of the Day”: “Come take out a mortgage, my friend. We are only too happy to lend….” When Joe continues to waffle, the brokers assure him that: “There’s no risk that this deal will blow up, ‘cause real estate always goes up.”  The family ends up signing the documents and buying the house. After they leave, the mortgage brokers concur that the family will never be able to make the payments. But the mortgage brokers are not worried. They will have no liability, since they transfer the loan to Fannie Mae.

It is 2011. The City Jail. The protesters, behind bars, face the audience and softly reprise the words to the “First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.” As the song ends, a policeman arrives with Michael, Cooper and Kate in tow, and deposits them roughly into the jail cell. Cooper wants to know about the Occupy Protest. He concludes that he will defend their right to protest, but does not agree with protesting during wartime. He gets into an argument with Michael about the reasons for the war in Iraq, and sings about why he enlisted in the song “Don’t You Remember?: “It was a blue and cloudless day, in the land of liberty, and as the people went to work, the planes came silently…” After a heated discussion about the state of the country, Cooper and most of the protesters are released, bail posted by the Occupy Movement. Only TOM, a homeless veteran, is forced to remain in jail until “he dries out.”

It is 2006. Tom and June’s Apartment. Tom’s wife JUNE and their daughter MOLLY are packing to leave. Tom arrives home drunk—again—with the gift of a chocolate bar for Molly. June is angry, and tells Tom that since she supports the family and takes care of their daughter, and all he does is drink, they are leaving. Tom begs them not to go, says he drinks because of his flashbacks, and that he’s gotten no help from the VA. She’s tired of his excuses, and they leave. Tom, now alone, sings of the painful distance between the hero he was told he’d be when he first served his country, and the failure he’s become in the song “I’m a Hero.”

It is 2011. A Neighborhood in New York City. Cooper, Kate and Michael walk through Manhattan’s Upper West Side near Central Park. Michael tells Cooper this neighborhood is where the 1% live. Copper doesn’t understand, and thinks he might live in a neighborhood like this if he “works real hard.” Kate calls him Pollyanna, but invites him to accompany her and Michael back to Zuccotti Park, since he doesn’t know the city very well. Kate points out a particularly opulent home, and tells Cooper some big Wall Street guy lives there.

Inside That Opulent Home. The owners—a banker named LARRY, his wife TIFFANY, and their son JUSTIN are being served dinner by a maid. The banker comments about an article in the Wall Street Journal, and Justin, overhearing their conversation, asks his father a question about money. Larry concedes that it’s about time the boy learned the business. He dons a top hat and pulls out a magic wand. Tiffany becomes a magician’s assistant. They execute a song-and-dance magic show, detailing, in simple terms, the history of money in “The Money Song”: “Before there was money, dollars, pesos or franks, before there were euros, before there were banks, if you wanted to sell things, and you had to get paid, the way that you did it, was you entered a trade…”

The song journeys through money’s beginnings as gold, to the current fiat currency system, eventually explaining how money has now become debt. Larry sings: “Money is debt. The more that we loan, the more that they owe, the more that we get!” Towards the end of the song Justin asks, “How come people don’t understand about money? Isn’t it taught in school?” The music stops abruptly and his father responds, “Never. If people understood money, it would be game over.”

It is 2005, in the new home that Joe and Maria just purchased. They are very excited to finally have their own home in a nice neighborhood, where Juan can go to a good school. They’re a little worried about the debt they owe, but Joe is thrilled that he’ll have a garage to put a workshop in, Maria is excited to finally have a real kitchen, and Juan can’t wait to play in his first back yard. As they sing “A Home Like This,” they are joined by other new homebuyers, and the stage bursts with their pride, exhilaration and anticipation as they finally access—for the first time—their own little piece of the American Dream.

Act II
Michael, Kate and Cooper reunite with their friends at Zuccotti Park. Washington is waiting for his friend, says he tried to raise bail for Cooper, but was told that Occupy was taking care of it. A Transvestite has volunteered to serve food, and sings about the problems of a leaderless organization: “Too Many Hens, Not Enough Roosters.” Washington notices that Cooper has more than a passing interest in Kate. Cooper is shy, but Washington encourages him. Cooper asks Kate if he’ll see her again. Kate replies that she’ll be back at Zuccotti Park, since the “Occupy Movement is here to stay.” Cooper is unconvinced. As Kate leaves, FRANK, a laid-off, blue-collar worker in his early 60s, tells Cooper to have a seat, as he wants to tell him a story. Frank dons a hard hat, and approaches a bulletin board filled with pink slips. Frank throws down his hat when he sees his name. A friend says, “tough break,” and explains how the company was bought out by a leveraged buyout firm. Frank asks what he should do, to which his friend replies, “look for another job, I guess.” Franks searches fruitlessly for jobs. In the song “What Happened to My Country” Frank declares that he just wants an honest wage for an honest day’s work, saying: “Once in another time, I knew a country that was fair, each person, if he worked hard, each person, if she dared, pursued their dreams unhindered, pursued them unimpaired…”

Back in Zuccotti Park, The protesters are having a general assembly meeting about the latest communication from Mayor Bloomberg and the owners of the park, Brookfield Properties. It states that the park is unsanitary and needs cleaning. The protesters decide to clean the park themselves. Cooper enters looking for Kate just as an AGENT PROVOCATEUR throws a bottle at a bank building—the only instance of violence in this otherwise peaceful protest. The protesters—knowing he’s an infiltrator—try to hold him, but he escapes. Cooper recognizes SARAH from the jail cell, and they talk. He finds out Sarah has cancer, and she tells him that most people are at Zuccotti Park because they’ve lost something.

It is 2009. An Insurance Office. Sarah has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. She is there to file her claim, but is told by the INSURANCE AGENT that her policy has been cancelled because of an oversight on her initial application. She forgot to list an operation she had as a child, the adjuster explains. Sarah argues, but to no avail. She doesn’t know what to do, feels lost, alone, and scared. She sings “Everything Is Gone.”

It is 2011, on a New York street corner Near the park. Cooper, wearing his military dress uniform, bumps into Michael. Cooper is reconsidering re enlisting, and is on his way to a job interview so he might “prove you guys wrong.” They argue. Michael gives his point of view: “The government doesn't care about you, soldier. They work for the 1%, who don't give a shit about any of us…” Michael sings “The Madmen.” Cooper and Michael part, no closer to agreement than before they met.

Back in Zuccotti Park. The protesters clean the park. Kate sits despondent on a bench and does not join in. Michael enters and asks her what is wrong. She shows him a rejection letter from her only job interview. Kate tells Michael that her family is not wealthy and she has huge student loans to pay back, and no luck finding a job in her field. She sings “Kate’s Song. “The interest is accruing, forever multiplied. I’ll be in debtor’s bondage until the day I die…” As Michael hugs her to comfort her, Cooper enters in dress uniform. Cooper tells her he may not re enlist. Kate and MARGUERITE, a woman in her late 80s, wish him luck. Kate invites him to help clean the park when he’s done with the interview. Michael chides him that he might consider that a handout. Cooper says he means government handouts. Marguerite talks about how hard it is to get along on Social Security with inflation eating up all her money. Michael wheels out a shopping cart full of groceries. Marguerite sings “The Inflation Song”: “When I was young an apple cost two pennies. A box of cereal was just a dime. I'd buy a loaf of bread for one plug nickel. The price of food today is just a crime.” As she sings, we hear the words “Inflation, money multiplication…” and items disappear from her grocery cart, until she’s left with nothing.

The Lobby of a Corporation. Cooper arrives for his job interview, but is told by the busy receptionist that the IT job he thought he was applying for is gone, and that the only opening they have is a janitor’s position. CEO, RAYMOND CARRUTHERS and DENNIS SLOAN enter, and the receptionist explains why Cooper is there. The CEO tells Cooper he is also a soldier, was “in the Guard during ‘Nam” and agrees to talk to Cooper in his office privately. In Carruthers’ office, Cooper is given a lesson, via the song “I Am a CEO” about corporate mandates: “To keep shareholders happy, earnings have to flow, The stock price and the dividends must grow, and if they profit from my efforts, it's quid pro quo.” Cooper leaves without applying for the job.

2007 - Inside Joe and Maria’s house. Joe and Maria are drowning in debt, and cannot make the mortgage payment. They’re confused and frightened, and their anxiety escalates to a bitter argument. They reprise “A Home Like This,” but their earlier elation has turned to sadness and desperation. A sheriff comes to the door and serves them foreclosure papers.

Outside Washington’s place. Cooper and Washington sit on the steps outside of Washington’s walk-up. Cooper feels down, confused. He questions himself and his beliefs. Washington has to return to Afghanistan tomorrow. Washington tells Cooper it’s the girl that has Cooper messed up. Cooper doesn’t think that he’s Kate’s type. He’s just a farm boy. Washington needles Cooper for quitting without even taking a shot. He makes Cooper promise to go for it, and not wimp out. Washington also tells Cooper not to forget what he and their buddies are fighting for back in the war. Washington sings “Afghanistan”: “Don't forget the mission. Don't forget the plan. We're fighting for our country, in Afghanistan.”

Back in Zuccotti Park. Cooper returns to Zuccotti Park. He must talk to Kate. But when he arrives he sees Kate and Michael in what looks like an intimate conversation. He asks if she and Michael are a couple, and finds out that Michael is gay. Michael tells Cooper his story, and that he’s loyal to the truth rather than to a person or a country. Cooper tells Kate how he feels about her, how he wants to have a relationship with her more than anything. Kate is attracted but says they are too different. They sing “Storm Clouds Over America”: “You see clear skies, and sunny days. I see thunder and rain. You see everybody doing fine, and I see pain.”

A New York City TV Station. Two television NEWS ANCHORS talk about Mayor Bloomberg ordering Zuccotti Park cleared, due to it being a health hazard. They talk to the reporter on the scene, Jaylee Harris.

Back in Zuccotti Park. Cooper implores Kate and the other protesters, telling them they need to leave because the police, in riot gear, are coming to arrest them. Kate and most of the protesters refuse to leave, so Cooper decides to stay. He’s a soldier, and doesn’t desert his friends. The police arrive, armed with shields, batons and pepper spray. The protesters—as always—respond verbally with statements that illustrate the financial dismantling of the American people, and the Constitution. When the protesters won’t leave, the police begin to remove them by force—skinning knees, bruising ribs, and dislocating shoulders—the American citizens’ right to peacefully protest dissolves into a sea of frightened screams and shattered illusions. The protesters belongings are broken, ripped and tossed in a heap. Cooper protects the protesters as best he can. Michael is arrested, but Kate escapes. Maria’s son, Juan has lost his GI Joe toy, and wants to look for it. Maria says no, and pulls him off the stage with her husband Joe, who is injured. Kate thinks Cooper will understand the cause after what he just saw. But Cooper can’t bring himself to change. Filled with frustration, Kate asks Cooper, “What about the Declaration of Independence? And the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights?” Cooper says numbly that he fights to protect those documents. Barely containing her anger, Kate seethes, “Do me a favor, then. Read them!” She turns and runs away.

Cooper is left alone on stage. He wanders amidst the destroyed encampment. He stops, looks down, picks up a sheet of crumpled paper with the American flag on it, Kate’s flyer. He turns it over and sees something written on the other side. He stares at the paper, and then begins to read, mouthing the words at first and then speaking them a little louder: “We hold these truths to be self-evident… That all men are created equal…” He frowns, and continues, his voice a bit louder. “That they are endowed by their Creator with unalienable Rights…” Governments, he says, derive their powers from the consent of the governed…  And as he speaks the words, that “It is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it…” he stops. Something breaks inside him. He puts together everything he has seen, everything he has heard, since he’s been in New York City. And…he…gets it. Cooper picks up an American flag lying in the rubble, holds it to his chest, then buries his face in it, and sobs. Juan runs on stage looking for his toy. He sees Cooper and asks him if he is OK. No answer. Juan puts his hand on Cooper's back and asks again. This time Cooper responds. Cooper hands Juan the flag. Tells him to protect it, and to go to school and learn about the documents that were written when the country was started. He tells Juan “They’re instructions that show us how to make this country work for all the people.” Kate and Maria enter and overhear Cooper talking to Juan. Kate moves to Cooper and they fall into one another’s arms. As they hold each other, a soft singing begins off-stage, the words of the Declaration. Protesters enter and surround Kate and Cooper, who join in the singing. The song morphs into the finale song, Occupy. The entire cast enters, filling the aisles for the final song.